Most home cinema showrooms sell you a system. Virtus Integration is building something different: a fully acoustic-engineered, reference-grade cinema room in Worcestershire — designed not as a sales floor, but as a benchmark facility. Atif visited ahead of completion for an exclusive behind-the-scenes walkthrough. What he found was one of the most technically considered custom-install builds he'd seen.
What Is the Virtus Integration Experience Centre?
The Virtus Integration Experience Centre in Worcestershire is a multi-room facility serving two distinct purposes. First, it's a showcase for the full scope of what a professional custom integrator delivers — from the empty shell to the finished room. Second, it's a permanent test and benchmarking environment where the team can evaluate projectors, screens, processors, amplifiers, smart home systems, and acoustic products in real, controlled conditions.
"We are always learning. I am never going to pretend that we know this room will be the best it can be. But for the first time I've done it, I'm really excited. It's going to be the best room I've ever built."
The facility is open for clients and enthusiasts to visit — not to be sold to, but to experience. If you want to understand what a particular control system or CCTV setup actually feels like in use, you can come and see it working.
The Two Spaces: Media Room and Dedicated Cinema
The facility is divided into two main entertainment zones, each designed to demonstrate a different tier of home cinema experience.
The Media Room
The first space is a high-performance media room: a comfortable, AV-optimised lounge featuring:
- ▪Up to 100-inch LG OLED display
- ▪2.2 audio system with acoustic wall treatment
- ▪Movia seating for relaxed viewing
- ▪Art Novion acoustic panels integrated into the design
- ▪A fabric and sample area where clients can touch and compare all available wall fabrics, seating materials, and panel finishes
This room is designed to show clients what's achievable in a living space — no dedicated build required.
The Dedicated Cinema Room
The main cinema is where the serious engineering happens. This is a room-within-a-room construction, fully decoupled from the outer structure to achieve a controlled acoustic environment.
| System Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Projector | JVC NZ700 |
| Screen | Screen Research 2-1 format |
| Front Speakers | M&K 300 (x3) |
| Surround/Rear Speakers | M&K 300 (wall-mounted) |
| Atmos Height Channels | 4 (in-ceiling) |
| Total Base Speaker Count | 7 |
| Seating | Movia Dallas range with King's seat |
| Room Treatment | Artnovian (custom modelled) |
| Construction Standard | RP22 guideline |
The Engineering: How a Proper Acoustic Room Is Built
The Virtus team spent 12 months educating themselves in acoustic engineering — working with specialists, stress-testing approaches, and developing what they describe as "a crash course in acoustic science." The result is a build that goes far beyond a standard cinema fit-out.
Decoupled Construction
The inner room is completely isolated from the outer structure. The key measurements:
- ▪70mm gap on the walls
- ▪50mm gap at the ceiling
- ▪Rubber acoustic membrane on the floor, creating a floating structure
- ▪11mm acoustic ply on the inner walls
- ▪Genie clips to decouple the plasterboard from the ply (a second layer of isolation)
- ▪Two layers of 18mm ply on the floor, crossed perpendicular and bonded — no mechanical screws — creating a true floating floor
The door alone took significant engineering: custom-built multi-layer, two-man-lift weight, four hinges, with airtight seals on all edges and a threshold seal across the floor.
"The whole inner structure is decoupled from the outer structure completely. The whole idea is to manage the noise floor in the room — to make it as quiet as possible, so we know the acoustics we're hearing are exactly what we want."
Acoustic Treatment: Artnovian Room Modelling
Virtus partnered with Artnovian to model the room acoustically and design a custom treatment package. The target RT60 values before and after treatment illustrate the impact of professional acoustic design:
| Frequency Range | Before Treatment | After Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 0.76 | 1.63 (bass ratio — by design) |
| Lower-Mid | 0.95 | 0.56 |
| Mid | 0.93 | 0.38 |
| Upper-Mid | 0.84 | 0.28 |
| High | 0.75 | 0.30 |
The bass ratio of 1.63 is intentionally higher than mid/high values — consistent with best practice for home cinema acoustic design, providing warmth without boom.
Smart Home and Control Integration
Beyond the cinema rooms, the facility features a dedicated wall of smart home technology — a live, working installation showcasing the full range of integration systems:
- ▪Control4 and Neutron control systems
- ▪Light switches, keypads, and touchscreens across multiple ranges
- ▪CCTV and intercom systems in live operation
- ▪Alarm systems integrated into the smart home stack
- ▪Garden/patio audio — a portable outdoor system that can be demonstrated indoors, then replicated at a client's property
The kitchen area also serves as a practical context for showing how smart home controls integrate into everyday domestic spaces.
The Investment: What Does This Level of Cinema Cost?
The Virtus team shared honest budget guidance based on building this room:
| Phase | Estimated Investment |
|---|---|
| Room construction (RP22-level acoustic build, floating floor, decoupled walls, design & analysis) | ~£25,000 |
| Equipment (projector, screen, speakers, processor, seating) | £40,000 – £100,000+ |
| This specific room (complete, six-figure) | £100,000+ |
Note: this budget assumes starting from an existing outer shell. If a garage conversion is involved, the outer walls and structure need building first — add accordingly.
The room took approximately three months to build alongside active client projects — roughly two to three weeks of solid, continuous labour in real terms.
Key Takeaways
- ▪The Virtus Integration Experience Centre in Worcestershire is a reference-grade, open-door facility for clients and enthusiasts to experience proper home cinema and smart home technology
- ▪The main cinema features JVC NZ700 projection, M&K 300 7-channel speaker system, four Atmos height speakers, and Screen Research screen in a fully acoustic room
- ▪The construction follows RP22 guidelines with genuine room-within-a-room decoupled build — 70mm wall gaps, floating floor, Genie clips, and airtight door seals
- ▪Artnovian modelled the room acoustics and provided custom treatment, targeting RT60 values around 0.28–0.56 across mid/high frequencies
- ▪Budget reality: expect ~£25k for the room plus £40k–£100k+ for equipment — this specific room exceeds six figures
- ▪The facility exists to educate, not sell — visitors can benchmark gear and materials without pressure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Virtus Integration Experience Centre?
The Virtus Integration Experience Centre is a professional home cinema and smart home showroom in Worcestershire, UK. It serves as both a showcase for Virtus Integration's full-build capabilities and a working test facility for evaluating projectors, audio systems, smart home controls, and acoustic products. It is open to clients and enthusiasts who want to experience systems in a real, controlled environment.
What projector and audio system does the Virtus cinema demo room use?
The main cinema room features a JVC NZ700 projector projecting onto a Screen Research 2-1 format screen. The audio system is based on M&K 300 speakers — three across the front, plus surround and rear channels on the walls, totalling seven speakers at the base layer, with four Atmos height channels in the ceiling for immersive audio.
How much does a dedicated home cinema room cost?
According to Virtus Integration, a properly acoustic-engineered dedicated cinema room (built to RP22 standards with decoupled floating floor and walls) costs approximately £25,000 for the room construction alone. Equipment — projector, screen, speakers, processor, and seating — adds another £40,000 to £100,000+. A finished six-figure room is typical for a reference-grade dedicated cinema.
What is room-within-a-room cinema construction?
Room-within-a-room is an acoustic construction method where an inner structure is completely decoupled from the outer walls, floor, and ceiling. At Virtus, this means a 70mm air gap on the walls, rubber acoustic membrane beneath a floating floor, Genie clips isolating internal plasterboard, and a custom-built airtight door. The goal is to eliminate external noise interference and give the acoustic treatment full control over the room's sound.
What smart home systems does Virtus Integration install?
Virtus Integration installs a wide range of smart home systems including Control4, Neutron, CCTV, intercoms, alarms, and distributed audio (including outdoor patio audio). The Experience Centre has a live installation wall where all these systems can be experienced working in real conditions, making it easy to compare and assess before committing to a specification.
